Opener for containers



March 7, 1944. c. B. WHITE ET AL OPENER FOR CONTAINERS Filed Juiy 4, 1942 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 7, 1944 harles. B- W te.

Brooklyn, N. Y Oi Com a y, a m... t

Incorporated. New Yorln, oi New York Br v ll an J ck Wink-l a assignors to. Socony-Vaouurn Application July 4, 1942, Serial No. 449,834; 3, Qlaims. (01., 221-23) This invention relates to the opening of containers of the. type having a longitudinal body member of fibrous or other sheet material closed at both ends by discs of cardboard or the like.

Containers of one type to which the invention is applicable are described in patents to J. K. M;

Harrison. In general, the containers are cylindrical, although the invention may be used in connection with containers of other crosssection, and are closed at each end by a circular disc. The ends of the cylindrical container wall are spun inward and downward to form disc retaining beads. In accordance with our invention, force is applied positively to a closure disc at an edge portion until the disc pulls free of its frictional or cemented bond with the container wall,

whereupon the disc is turned by resilient means about an axis transverse of the disc and moved into the container to provide free flow space for emptying the container.

These and other aspects of the invention, to-

Figure 6 is a detail view oi the element adapted.

to break the seal of a container closure member; and

Figure l is a View of a modified form of the opener.

The opener here illustrated, while embodyingcertain general features of the invention adaptable to openers for containers of various types, is particularly well fitted for use in connection with a container of a particular structure described hereinafter. The dominant features of that container pertinent to this invention are shown in Figure 1. The container comprises a tubular body portion H1 and an end closure disc I l maintained in place by close contact against the walls It and by a bead l2 formed by spinning over the end of the container wall H]. A small disc l3 fitted to the outside of disc ll protects the joint of that disc with bead l2. On the inner face of disc H is a disc M of sheet material which is preferably non-fibrous such as Cellophane or parchment. The disc I4 is firmly bonded to the inner face of disc H as by glue, which, however, does not extend to the edges of disc H. The disc l4 laps over the edges of disc H and is bonded in this region to the wall It! in a manner described below. In formation of the container, the wall 40 is interiorly coated witth an adhesive 15, preferably a glue or the like, which is tacky at the time of insertion of the closure disc H. The closure disc II, as formed and inserted, is a very tight fit in the tubularbody 10, being preferably of a slightly greater diameter than the internal diameter of the body. As the disc H is thrust into place, it scrapes up a portion of the adhesive is into a fillet l5 and the fillet together with the adhesive which remains between wall In and disc 14 firmly cements these two elements together. Thus, the container is closed at each end by a disc held in place primarily by tight engagement with the walls and by the bead l2, while the liquid and vapor tight seal is provided by the disc [4 which is bonded in its central area to disc I! and at its edges to wall l0, while having an intermediate portion free of both disc H and wall Hi.

This type of seal is highly advantageous in many instances, as, for example, packaging of lubricating oil. The wall I!) and closure disc H are, in accordance with usual practice, formed of layers or laminae of fibrous material, such as paper, cardboard, or the like. Any opening by rupture of one of these elements, either by cut ting or breaking along weakened or out lines, results in the loosening of fibres which contaminate the contents of the container. Where the disc I4 is of non-fibrous nature, the container may be opened by a pressure applied along the edge, tearing the disc M in the portion where it is not bonded to either the disc H or the wall I0, whereby the only rupture is in a substance which cannot provide loosened fibres.

The opener comprises an outer cylindrical shell 16 of a size adapted to fit about the container closely enough to enable handling the container and opener after opening as a unit, but loosely enough that the operation of opening is not affected materially by friction. The shell l5 has at one end a closure plate I! carrying a spout is communicating with the interior of the shell, and is provided with a hole I9 for admission of air; while the other end of the shell is open to receive the container.

Inside the shell I6 is a container opening assembly comprising a rigid finger 20 and a spring finger 2| The manner of securing the parts of the opening assembly to the shell l8 and/or plate I! should be so designed as to offer a minimum of resistance to liquid fiow to the spout from the opened container. In the present embodiment, rigidity is afi'orded the finger by side plates 22 hearing flanges 23 which are spot welded to plate 11. The spring finger 2| is also spot welded to plate I1. Drain holes 24 are cut in the side plates 22 to promote drainage of liquid.

If desired, means may be provided on the in ner surface of shell I6 to stop the container at a point before it contacts plate I 1. Bosses 25 for that purpose aid in drainage by providing a free space between the container and the plate l1.

In using the device, a container, such as that partially shown in Figure 1, is inserted into the shell Hi from the open end, preferably by resting the container in upright position on a suitable surface and pushing the tool thereover. As the container advances into the shell Hi, the end closure disc will contact and flex spring finger 2| which will move toward finger 20. When finger 20 is reached, that member will contact the end closure disc at a point adjacent the bead l2 and further motion, with surprisingly little force, will cause the end closure disc 'to break away from the wall of the container, rupturing the sealing sheet 14, if present. Once the seal is broken, the closure disc turns rather readily, and the flexed spring finger 2! will return to unflexed condition forcing the end closure disc to a position for rapid drainage of the container.

The opener, with the container therein, is then tipped in the normal manner to pour the container contents through spout I 8, air moving intthrough hole I9 to replace the liquid flowing ou Referring to Figure 3, and assuming a container to be in the opener, it will be seen that the, spout, when in the normal discharge position shown, drains the container at a point 3| in the periphery of the end of the container, while the fingers 20 and 2! engage the end disc near a point of said periphery in the opencontents of the container.

It is often preferable that the opener be in tially broken away to show an opened container The body of the opener is of the usual measuring dispenser type fitted with a flexible drain spout 2B fitted to the lower part of a shell 21. The opening assembly is, in this case, supported by a curved segment 28 secured to the wall of shell 21. If desired, a guiding strip 29 may also be included to aid in positioning the container.

We claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of means for receiving the end of a container, of the type comprising a cylindrical body closed with an end disc, and for guiding the container for relative longitudinal movement, a member attached to said means in position to engage the end disc of the container at a point near its periphery and to press said disc inwardly at said point in consequence of said movement, and a resilient member, connected with said means in position to be pushed back by the said end disc in consequence of said movement and to press the end disc further inwardly by its resilient action after such movement of the end disc has been initiated by the positive action of the first mentioned member.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a shell to receive and closely embrace the end of a container of the type comprising a cylindrical body closed by an end disc and to guide the container for relative longitudinal movement, the shell being open at its receiving end and closed by an end plate at the other end, a spout opening through and projecting from the end plate, the entrance opening to the spout being located to drain the container at a point in the end periphery of the container. and means, within the shell, mounted in position to engage the end disc of the container adjacent a second point in the end periphery of the container and to press the end disc inwardly in consequence of said longitudinal movement, the two said points being separated by an arc of between and in the end periphery of the container.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of means for receiving the end of a container, of the type comprising a cylindrical body closed by an end disc, and for guiding the container for relative longitudinal movement, and opening means, for displacing said end disc in consequence of such longitudinal movement, said opening means being positioned to engage said disc at a point near its periphery and comprising a resilient member and a rigid member cooperating first to displace the end disc positively, after the resilient member has been pushed back by the end disc, and thereafter to disc further by the return of the resilient member to normal position.

CHARLES B. WHITE. JACK WIN'KLER. 

